1. The Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electrical components and more particularly to deflectable resistors which vary in electrical resistance.
2. The Relevant Technology
Potentiometers are standard elements of electrical and electronic circuits. They are widely in use today for a variety of purposes including the measurement of mechanical movement. U.S. Pat. No. 5,157,372 (Langford) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,583,476 (Langford), (which are incorporated herein for all purposes), presented a new device identified as a flexible potentiometer that provided an electrical resistor having a consistent and predictable variable electrical output upon deflection or bending between configurations.
Flexible potentiometers have been sold commercially and, in some configurations, require two side-by-side connecting conductive runs of material proximate each other forming, in effect, a U-shaped device. Such devices, in turn, require a width that can be regarded as excessive or too large, thereby preventing use in selected applications.